Apparatus for applying hard and soft covers to bound or unbound documents

Abstract

A bindery system captures pages of a bound or unbound book in a hard or soft cover case with a metal U-shaped channel which in turn is bonded to the inside spine surface of the hard or soft covers.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In combination: a plurality of pages; a case having front and back covers and a spine portion; a deformable U-shaped channel means for being crimped against said plurality of pages, said U-shaped channel means having a smooth inner surface throughout and attached to said spine portion; an apparatus for binding said plurality of pages to said case comprising guide means for guiding said case into said apparatus and means for crimping said case once it has been guided into said apparatus in order to thereby deform said U-shaped channel means and secure said pages to said case. 
     
     
       2. The combination of claim 1, wherein inside surfaces of said front and back covers include an adhesive material covered by release paper and said pages include end leaves of heavier stock than the remaining pages. 
     
     
       3. The combination of claim 2, wherein said release paper is removed from said inside surfaces of said front and back covers and wherein said front and back covers with said adhesive material are pressed to said end leaves. 
     
     
       4. The combination of claim 1, wherein said U-shaped channel mean is made of metal. 
     
     
       5. In combination: a case having front and back covers and a spine portion; a plurality of pages to be placed into said case; a smooth inner surfaced, U-shaped channel means for being crimped against said plurality of pages adhered to said spine portion of said case for receiving said plurality of pages; a binding apparatus comprising means for guiding the case into said binding apparatus and beveled shaped jaws for crimping the extending sides of said U-shaped channel means to thereby secure said plurality of pages to said case. 
     
     
       6. In combination: a plurality of pages; a case having front and back covers; a covering material for covering said case and forming a spine portion therebetween; a smooth inner surfaced, U-shaped channel member positioned interiorly of said spine portion and attached thereto for receiving said plurality of pages, said U-shaped channel member including a base portion of a predetermined width and sides of said U extending a predetermined height; a binding apparatus comprising means for guiding said case into said binding apparatus and means for applying pressure to said covering material of said case and below said predetermined height of said legs in order to crimp said legs of said U-shaped channel member and thereby secure said plurality of pages to said case. 
     
     
       7. An apparatus for use in binding pages of an uncased book to a case having a spine and a U-shaped channel member that reacts with plastic deformation when crimped attached to the spine for receiving the pages, comprising; a first jaw and a second jaw, said first jaw being stationary and said second jaw being slidable in a horizontal plane, and wherein said first and second jaws have beveled shaped portions; a bed positioned between said first and second jaws and onto which only the spine of the case is rested; means for sliding said slidable jaw toward said stationary jaw in order to bring said beveled shaped portions of said first and second jaws into contact with the case in order to apply a binding force to the case in order to crimp the U-shaped channel member to the pages to secure the pages to the case. 
     
     
       8. A binding apparatus for use with a case that has front and back covers with a channel member that has a predetermined width and height and positioned between the front and back covers in a spine portion of the case and pages placed within the channel member, comprising: a stationary jaw; a movable jaw slidable in a horizontal plane, said stationary and movable jaws including beveled shaped portions; means for supporting the case on its spine portion; and means for moving said beveled shaped portion of said slidable jaw into engagement with the channel member of the case such that the case is moved into engagement with said beveled shaped portion of said stationary jaw, said beveled shaped portions of said movable jaw and stationary jaw making contact with the channel member in order to crimp the channel member against pages within the case such that the channel member reacts with plastic deformation and thereby secures the pages to the case. 
     
     
       9. In combination: an apparatus for binding pages of a book to a case; a plurality of pages comprising a book; a case having front and back covers covered by a covering material with the covering material forming a spine portion between said front and back covers; a smooth inner surfaced, U-shaped channel means for being crimped against said plurality of pages positioned interiorly of said spine portion and adhered thereto; said apparatus including means for guiding said case into said apparatus; and means for applying pressure to said covering material of said case and below an upper end of said U-shaped channel means in order to crimp said U-shaped channel means to said plurality of pages and thereby secure said plurality of pages to said case. 
     
     
       10. The combination of claim 9, wherein said U-shaped channel means is deformable. 
     
     
       11. The combination of claim 10, wherein said U-shaped channel means is made of metal.